


Go See the World (It's All So Brand New)

by AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate



Series: Hetalia Faerie Tale AUs [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: But not too bad I swear, Fluff and Humor, Little bit of blood, M/M, little bit of swearing, little tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-21 03:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11348910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate/pseuds/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate
Summary: Tangled AU. Matthew has lived in a tower his whole life, not knowing anything about the outside world. So when a funny albino thief stumbles into his tower, he blackmails him into taking him out and showing him the world. Little does Matthew know that this will lead to the discovery of both his destiny and true love. PruCan, FrUK, Spamano.





	1. Switch on the Sky, The Stars Glow For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RainbowMarvel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowMarvel/gifts).



> Hey guys! So, this is my first story on AO3. It was originally written on Fanfiction.net for my friend Jane's birthday. So, the first chapter is pretty similar to the movie, but it WILL divulge. Also: sorry, no songs. Copyright infringement is the reason the songs aren't in here. 
> 
> So, anyway, please enjoy this story!

This is a story about my death.

Oh, no, don't worry! This is actually a great story. It's funny, it's heartwarming, and it's full of adventure. Probably the craziest thing about it: this story isn't even mine. Nope, not mine, not at all. It's about a boy named Matthew. And it all starts with the sun.

So, once upon a time, a drop of sunlight fell to Earth and caused a magical flower to grow. It could heal any sickness or injury, anything except for death. Well… more on that later. It has to do with my death. Isn't that wonderful? *smack* Ow, Birdy! Stop it! *smack* Okay, okay, I'll get to the real story. Sheesh.

Now, where was I? Oh, right, the magical flower. So… this drop of sunlight grew into a magical flower. Oh, look, there's an old woman. She's important later, so pay attention. *smack* OW! Ahem, back to the story.

Centuries passed and a kingdom grew up a little ways away from this magical flower. This kingdom was ruled by an amazing King and Queen. And, like people typically do, they decided "Hey! Let's have a kid!" and went to go do just that. *smack* OW! BIRDY, QUIT IT!

Anyway, the Queen managed to get pregnant… even though he was a dude… but moving on! Unfortunately, the Queen got really, really sick. He was going to die, so the King started to look for a miracle. Or, you know, a magical flower made from sunlight. That works too!

Oh, oh, look, it's that old woman again! See, I told you she'd be important! *smack* Birdy, I'm just gonna ignore you now…

Anyway, this old woman is still around because she's been using the magic flower to stay young for… a really damn long time. And of course, she didn't share it! Because why would she? Anyway, how this flower worked went a little like this: you had to touch it while thinking about what you wanted it to do. Yeah, it's a bit creepy, I know...

Anyway, so now the palace guards found this flower and brought it back to the palace. The King gave the flower to the Queen to ingest, and this healed him. And after nine months, the King and Queen's baby was born. The baby was a beautiful blonde boy with shining blue-violet eyes. I'll give you a little hint: that's Matthew.

So, to celebrate the boy's birth, the King and Queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. And for one beautiful, shining moment, everything was perfect.

But of course, since this is a faerie tale, that perfect moment turned into a fiery wreck!

So, that old woman, otherwise known as Mother Natalia, snuck into the palace in an attempt to gain back her youth. She touched a lock of Matthew's hair, and it started glowing. Mother Natalia cut off a piece of Matthew's hair, and the strand turned light brown instead. Shocked, Mother Natalia dropped the hair. Matthew started crying, and Mother Natalia stole the child, leaving behind two traumatized parents.

The King and Queen searched and searched, but Mother Natalia was nowhere to be found, and neither was Matthew. However, deep in the forest, in a tall, stone tower, Mother Natalia raised the child alone in the forest.

* * *

"Mama? Why can't I go outside?"

"The outside world is a dangerous place, full of horrible people and tragedies. It's much safer to stay inside this tower, where it's safe."

"Okay, Mama."

* * *

Of course, the tower walls couldn't hide everything. Every day, on the young prince's birthday, the King and Queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky, in the hopes that someday their prince would return to them.

The young prince lived in the tower for eighteen years. Which is where our story really starts…

* * *

"Alfred! Oh, Alfred!" Matthew called, poking his head out the window. He glanced around, smirked a little, and shrugged. "Oh, well, I guess he's not out here…" Matthew said in a sing-song voice, turning around. A snigger came from the flowerpot, and Matthew grinned.

"Gotcha!" Matthew called, grabbing the end of Alfred's tail. Alfred shrieked as Matthew lifted him into the air.

"Aand… I believe that's twenty three for me. Wanna go twenty four out of forty seven?" Matthew asked, grinning. Alfred frowned and crossed his arms, glaring back at Matthew.

"Okay, that's a no… What do you wanna do?" Alfred pointed outside excitedly. Matthew laughed.

"No… I like it in here, and so do you," Matthew said, turning around and walking back inside. Alfred stuck out his tongue. "Oh, come on, Alfred, it's great in here!" Matthew said, smiling. Alfred rolled his eyes but gave up on trying to go outside.

"Thank you, Alfred. Now, we should actually do something productive, eh?" Matthew asked. Alfred sighed and rolled his eyes, but nodded. Matthew grinned, grabbed his hair, and grabbed a broom.

"Well, chores... Should probably sweep..." Matthew murmured, desperately hoping his hair wouldn't ruin his sweeping job. Alfred tried to help (key word: tried), but in the end, Matthew shooed the chameleon away so he could finish. After that was done, Alfred dragged over the polish, and Matthew scrubbed the floor. Really, the only person he had to impress was his mother, but still. Priorities.

"Phew! That's done!" Matthew said, standing up. "What do you wanna do now, Alfred?" Alfred darted towards the kitchen, and Matthew laughed. "Food, yeah?"

After lunch, Matthew grabbed his paint set and set off to find an unpainted section of wall. He finally found it on the kitchen ceiling, and so he climbed up the cabinets in order to get to it. Alfred handed him certain brushes when he asked for them, and Matthew wondered just how the chameleon knew what was going on. Oh well. Some things will just always be a mystery. After his painting was done, Matthew jumped down and grabbed a hairbrush.

"It's probably super tangled at this point," Matthew said, starting on the (very long) process of brushing his blonde locks. Finally, an hour later, all of his hair was brushed, and Matthew sighed in relief before dropping the hairbrush and walking over to the window, staring out with a wistful expression. Alfred crawled up on top of his head and stared with him.

"Well, it's my eighteenth birthday, tomorrow. Let's hope Mother lets me go out this year, eh Alfred?" Matthew asked his friend. Alfred squeaked some form of agreement before jumping off and running back towards the kitchen.

Matthew sighed and climbed down from the window, heading back into the kitchen to make some pancakes.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the city, a young thief by the name of Gilbert was standing on the roof of the castle, looking out at the city. He breathed deeply, allowing the crisp air to fill his lungs.

"Wow! This is an awesome view! I could definitely get used to this!" Gilbert exclaimed, his heavy German accent evident in his words.

"Beilschmidt! Get your head back in the game and let's go, da?" Ivan, one of his partners called to him.

"Hold an a minute, Ivan. Geez," Gilbert grumbled before going back to stare at the view. "I'm getting ideas for the kind of view I want when I get my own castle."

"If we pull off this job, you can buy your own castle anywhere you want. Now come, let's do this," Katyusha, Gilbert's other partner, called, hefting the rope higher up her shoulders. Gilbert followed Ivan as they walked over to the window that was the entry point for their job.

As the lightest and most nimble, it was agreed that Gilbert would be the one that was lowered down. Katyusha wrapped the rope around his waist, tying it tightly. They quickly looped the rope around a hook, and then Ivan began the painstaking process of lowering Gilbert down into the throne room.

Gilbert silently laughed to himself when not _one_ of the guards looked up and saw him descending to steal the crown. Seriously, if he'd known that palace security was this lax, he'd have robbed the castle _ages_ ago! Gilbert wrapped his hands around glittering crown, grinning. _Yes! The money's mine!_ Gilbert cheered internally.

A stern-looking blonde guard sneezed.

"Bless you. Hope you're not getting sick," Gilbert teased, smirking.

"Danke. I hope so too," the guard replied. Gilbert's smirk widened. And in three, two, one…

"Wait! Stop right there, thief!" the guard yelped, spinning around to see Gilbert escaping through the roof with the crown.

The alarm was raised through the castle, but at this point Gilbert and the Braginsky siblings were too far away for the guards to do anything.

"I can totally picture myself with an awesome castle of my own! Hey! And it's still really early in the morning! Look alive, you two! Today is an awesome day!" Gilbert whooped as they ran into the forest.

* * *

"This is it, Alfred! Today is a very big day! I'm finally going to ask her if I can go see the floating lights. I'm going to ask her. Yes, I am," Matthew cheered, taking deep breaths in order to calm himself. Alfred just shook his head, giving Matthew a look as if to say _Sure you are._

"Matthew!" Mother Natalia's voice floated up the tower. Matthew gasped.

"This is it, Alfred. Come on, hide, you know she can't see you," Matthew frantically whispered. Alfred rolled his eyes, but leaped up on top of the wardrobe and changed colour in order to blend in.

"Matthew! Let down your hair! I'm not getting any younger down here!" Mother Natalia called.

"Coming, Mother!" Matthew yelled back, throwing his hair around a hook and letting it cascade to the ground. He leaned over the edge and saw Mother Natalia putting her foot through a loop on the end of his hair. She looked up at him and nodded, and Matthew started the process of pulling her up. As soon as Mother Natalia was in, Matthew started grinning and babbling.

"Hello Mother! Welcome home! How was your journey?"

"It was tiring, darling. Very tiring. And oh, how you do that every day without fail will never cease to amaze me! You must be exhausted," Mother Natalia said, giving Matthew a sympathetic look.

"Oh, it's nothing, Mother. It's not really that bad," Matthew replied, blushing slightly. Mother Natalia laughed.

"If you're sure, darling," Mother Natalia replied, taking off her cloak and strolling over to the mirror.

"Now, Mother," Matthew said, sensing his opening. "You know that tomorrow is a very big day-"

"Matthew, darling, come here and look in the mirror," Mother Natalia said, wrapping an arm around Matthew and yanking him over to her. "Do you know what I see? I see a strong, confident, beautiful young person. Oh, look, you're there too!" Mother Natalia laughed. Matthew's face fell. "Oh, darling, I'm just teasing," Mother Natalia said, going back to examining herself in the mirror.

"Right. So, Mother, as I was saying, tomorrow is a very big day-" Matthew said, trying again.

"Matthew, I'm sorry, but I'm feeling a little run down. Would you mind letting me do your hair? It will make me feel tremendously better," Mother Natalia said, facing Matthew.

"Oh! Of course!" Matthew smiled, grabbing the chair and the stool, then running to grab the hairbrush. Mother Natalia sat on the chair while Matthew sat on the stool. As Mother Natalia grabbed his hair, he tapped his foot impatiently, wanting her to be done so he could ask her!

"Mother, I have something important to ask you. Are you done yet?" Matthew asked, sounding a little bit whiny.

"In a moment, Matthew. I'm almost done with the braid," Natalia calmly replied, tying it off with a ribbon. "There. Now, what would you like to talk to me about?" Matthew jumped off the stool and spun around to face her, the new braid swishing behind him.

"Now, Mother, as I was saying, tomorrow's a pretty big day. And you didn't respond, so… Tomorrow's my birthday! Surprise!" Matthew cheered, grinning.

"Oh, yes, I suppose it is. Don't worry, I have something special planned," Natalia said, smiling a little.

"I'm sure I'll love it," Matthew replied, grinning. "Uh, anyway. I'm turning 18 this year, so I was wondering if… If I could… That is, for my birthday, I was wondering if I could…" Matthew trailed off, mumbling.

"Matthew, you know how I feel about the mumbling. I can't understand you. Please speak clearly," Natalia sighed, rolling her eyes.

Matthew glanced over to the wardrobe and saw Alfred gesturing for him to go on. Taking a deep breath, Matthew turned back to face his mother.

"Ugh. I want to see the floating lights," Matthew finally rushed out, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for her judgement.

"Oh. You mean the stars. Well, I don't see why you can't just see them from the window," Natalia replied, waving off his request.

"That's the thing," Matthew said, jumping up and pulling a lever, revealing the star chart he'd painted on the ceiling. "I've charted stars and their patterns, but these lights only appear on my birthday. I just… really need to see them in person, so I was wondering if you'd take me."

Natalia heaved a dramatic sigh. "You want to go outside? Matthew, look at yourself. You can't defend yourself."

"But-" Matthew began.

"Matthew, you're very small for your age. On top of that, you're not very strong, and you have no experience with fighting. How will you defend yourself in this violent world?"

"I know, but-" Matthew tried again.

"You do know that we stay in this tower for your own protection, right? I only have your best interests in mind, darling," Natalia continued without even hearing Matthew's protest.

"But-!" Matthew protested.

"Hush, darling. I can tell you about the outside world again, if you need me to."

"No! I'm fine!" Matthew sighed, getting ready for the lecture.

"Now, I'm sure as you remember, it's a very scary world out there. Why, even for myself, an individual skilled in the ways of the world, I get into trouble at every turn! There's no avoiding it, Matthew," Natalia began, spinning around and stalking off to the kitchen to grab some food.

"How bad can it really be?" Matthew asked quietly, hoping she hadn't heard him. Her answering glare dashed all his hopes.

"Thugs roam the streets. Police have no control! Poisonous plants grow everywhere, making them impossible to avoid, and natural disasters happen on a weekly basis! Cannibals are always looking for young, defenseless things like you to devour. Sickness runs rampant! Do you still really want to leave?" Natalia rattled off, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well..." Matthew began, awkwardly shuffling his feet.

"Fine! Go ahead and leave me alone. I've only raised you, clothed you, fed you, bathed you, and kept you safe for the last, what? Eighteen years? I deserve it!" Natalia yelled, spinning around and crossing her arms angrily.

"Mother, that's not what I meant-" Matthew started before Natalia spun around and stopped him with a shove. He fell to the ground and looked up at her, shocked. "Mother, what-"

"Do you really think you can survive out there on your own?" She hissed. Matthew gulped and shrunk back away from her fury. "You? Don't make me laugh. You have no idea how hard it is out there. You're naive, easily fooled, and woefully unprepared."

"I-I'm sorry," Matthew whimpered. Natalia's eyes softened a bit.

"Oh, come here. I'm sorry if I scared you," she soothed, sweeping Matthew up into a hug. "I just have one thing I need you to promise me."

"Anything, Mother," Matthew panted, meaning it. He would promise anything as long as it meant not having to face her wrath ever again.

"Matthew?" Natalia asked. Matthew shivered slightly at her tone of voice, but looked up at her anyway.

"Yes?" Matthew asked, apprehensive. Natalia took a deep breath and glared.

" _Never_ ask to leave this tower again. Understood?"

"Yes, Mother," Matthew whispered, looking at his feet. Natalia smiled and patted his head.

"There we go. I love you very much, dear," she said.

"I love you more," Matthew smiled slightly.

"I love you most," Natalia giggled, bopping him on the nose. "Now, remember what I always say: Mother knows what's best for you."

"Now, I'll see you in a little bit, my flower!" Natalia called as Matthew lowered her down again.

"I'll be here," Matthew said, sighing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gilbert and the Braginsky siblings were running through the woods, being chased by the royal guard. As they passed a tree stocked with wanted posters, Gilbert paused.

"Oh no, this is bad, very, very bad…" Gilbert said, panicking. The Braginsky siblings shot him curious looks, and Gilbert turned to face him, holding up his Wanted poster.

"They just can't get my smile right!" Gilbert yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. The Braginsky siblings just gave him looks.

"Who cares? Let's go. I'd prefer not to get caught," Ivan droned, turning around and running.

"Well, that's easy for you two, your poster looks amazing!" Gilbert yelled, quickly catching up to Ivan and Katyusha. They came across a tall rock, too tall for them to just jump over. They heard the palace guard closing in fast, and Gilbert turned to face the Braginsky siblings.

"Help me up! I'll pull you up after!" Gilbert said.

"Mhm. Give us the satchel first, pretty boy," Katyusha said, extending a hand.

"Oh come on! After all we've been through, you don't trust me?" Gilbert whined, giving the siblings a pouty face. The Braginskys sighed and heaved Gilbert up to the top of the rock.

"Great. Now pull us up, da?" Ivan said, glaring. Gilbert shrugged playfully.

"Sorry. My hands are full," he said, holding up the satchel before jumping off the rock and running away, leaving a giant rock in between the Braginsky siblings and freedom.

"WHAT?! BEILSCHMIDT!" Ivan roared. Gilbert laughed and kept running. The sounds of the palace guard chasing him continued though, and Gilbert looked behind him to see most of the guard still chasing him. He paled even further and ran faster.

"Get that satchel! I don't care how, just do it at all costs!" the Captain yelled, his blue eyes glaring at the rest of the guard. His German accent made him sound much angrier than he actually was, but it worked to motivate the other guards. His silver horse neighed to relay this order to the other horses before charging forward even faster after Gilbert.

After a little bit, it was obvious that Gilbert was slowing down. The Captain of the Guard grinned.

"We've got him, Lukas!" the Captain cheered. His horse, Lukas, pushed himself even faster. Just as the Captain was about to grab Gilbert, Gilbert grabbed the Captain and threw him off Lukas before jumping on Lukas' back himself. Lukas realized what had happened after a moment and quickly came to a halt.

"Oh, come on! Let's move, fleabag!" Gilbert complained, kicking Lukas' sides. Lukas caught a glimpse of the satchel and lunged for it, snapping at it with his teeth.

"Whoa!" Gilbert exclaimed, desperately trying to keep the bag away from the horse. Finally, Lukas snatched it, and Gilbert growled.

"Oh no you don't. Give it back!" Gilbert yelled, lunging for it and managing to grab it back.

"Haha!" Gilbert yelled in triumph, holding up the satchel. Lukas lunged forward, and the creaking sound made them both freeze. In their struggle, they had ended up on a branch over a chasm. The branch finally snapped, sending both of them plunging down, screaming.

* * *

"Phew! Finally lost him!" Gilbert panted, emerging into a clearing and hiding quickly behind a rock wall as Lukas walked past. Once Lukas had left, Gilbert let out a breath before giving the clearing a better look. A super tall tower took up the centre of the clearing near a waterfall. Gilbert shrugged before starting towards the tower, thinking he could hide out there for a while.

When he reached the base of the tower, Gilbert paused. Sure, he was a thief, but breaking and entering and _staying_ was a completely different thing. When he heard Lukas neigh in the distance, Gilbert made up his mind and climbed the tower using an arrow.

After a lot of effort, Gilbert finally climbed into the tower, panting.

"Finally," Gilbert sighed. "Alone at last."

The last thing Gilbert registered was something blunt slamming into his skull, and Gilbert passed out.

* * *

"Agh!" Matthew yelped, hiding behind a chair. After a moment, he peaked out from behind the chair, holding the frying pan in front of him for defense. Matthew sneaked out from behind the chair and approached the pale stranger. The stranger didn't move. Matthew glanced at Alfred. Alfred mimed pointy fangs, and Matthew lifted the stranger's lips to find normal human teeth.

"Oh," Matthew whispered as the stranger's hair moved to the side, revealing a very handsome face.

"Ugh…" the guy groaned, his eyelids fluttering. Matthew panicked and whacked the guy over the head again. He fell unconscious again, and Matthew panted before looking over at Alfred. Alfred shrugged, and Matthew groaned. "What do I do now?"


	2. Life Is Way Too Short to Take It Slow

"There. Finally. We did it, Alfred," Matthew panted, collapsing against the wall. Alfred followed suit, falling on top of him and panting.

After much struggling, Matthew (with Alfred's help) had managed to lock the mysterious guy in Matthew's closet. Currently, a chair was keeping the door closed because the lock sucked.

"I did it, Alfred. I really can handle myself. Ha... hahahaha..." Matthew laughed breathlessly, staring at his frying pan in awe. Alfred made a little croaking noise that sounded a lot like laughter before he climbed off Matthew's leg and wandered back over to the closet. Matthew glanced at the closet as well, his cheeks flaming a little when he thought about the guy's handsome face. Alfred noticed his red cheeks, and shot him a cheeky grin. Well, as much of a cheeky grin as a chameleon could make.

"Oh, shut up you. This is the first human I've ever seen besides Mother. Oh God, I made a horrible first impression, didn't I?" Matthew panicked. What should he do?! What if Mother came back?!

A groan from within the closet broke through Matthew's train of thought, and he quickly jumped up and scrambled back, holding the frying pan out in front of him.

"W-what should I do?" he hissed at Alfred. Alfred shrugged, looking just as panicked as Matthew did.

"H-hello? Is someone out there?" a voice with a thick accent that Matthew couldn't place called.

"Um... Yes?" Matthew answered weakly.

"Great! Hi! Hello! Could you maybe get me out of here?" the voice asked, sounding flustered. Matthew gulped.

"O-only i-if you t-tell me w-who you a-are," Matthew finally stammered out, trying to sound brave. The voice sighed.

"Okay, fine. My name is Gilbert Beilschmidt. Happy?" Matthew nodded and moved to move the chair. Alfred smacked him on the hand and glared at him.

"What was that for?!" Matthew hissed. Alfred glared and shook his head, pointing at the closet and then Matthew. Matthew rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Oh come on, Alfred, nothing bad's gonna happen," Matthew replied.

"Um, hello? Are you going crazy out there?" the voice piped up. Matthew flushed.

"N-no! Just... talking to my chameleon friend is all!" Matthew answered.

"Right. Because that doesn't sound crazy at all," the voice drawled sarcastically. Matthew huffed and puffed out his cheeks.

"I'm not crazy!" he pouted. The voice chuckled.

"Whatever you say. Now, come on, could you please let me out? I'm starting to become claustrophobic."

"Oh! Right! Right away!" Matthew yelped, wrenching the door away from the closet. The guy toppled out a second later, hitting the floor with a _thud._

"Ow! What was that for?" the guy complained, rubbing his sore head. Matthew froze, blushing furiously as he took in the messy silver hair, the dazzling garnet eyes, the finely sculpted cheekbones, and... Matthew mentally smacked himself away from those thoughts.

It seemed the guy was having a similar internal crisis, seeing as he was bright red as well.

"Oh. I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sneak into a lady's home. I-I'll just be leaving now," the guy stammered out, scrambling to his feet and making for the window. Matthew snapped out of his haze and grabbed the guy's wrist.

"Wait!" Matthew yelped. The guy froze and turned to face Matthew.

"M-ma'am? Would you please let me go? I'm sorry for disturbing you," the guy mumbled, shifting his feet awkwardly. It dawned on Matthew that this guy thought he was a girl.

"I'm not a girl! I'm a boy, just like you!" Matthew fumed, letting go of the guy's wrist in favour of smacking his shoulder. The guy (Gilbert, Matthew remembered) blushed even harder.

"I'm sorry! You kind of look like a girl with the long hair, is all. Why is it even that long, anyway?" the guy ( _Gilbert_ , Matthew mentally corrected) asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"I-I can't cut it. My Mother won't let me," Matthew mumbled, tugging on the ends of the braid. Gilbert blinked.

"Really? That's stupid. Does she let you wear guy clothes, at least?" Gilbert asked. Matthew glanced down and saw that he was wearing one of the tunics Natalia had brought back from one of her travels.

"Yeah, she does," Matthew answered. An awkward silence fell over the room. Alfred crossed his arms and huffed at the two of them.

"A-anyway, what's your name?" Gilbert stammered out after a moment.

"Oh! I'm Matthew," Matthew replied, relieved to have gotten rid of the awkward silence. Gilbert smiled.

"So, Matthew, why are you living in this tower in the middle of nowhere?" Gilbert asked, smirking a little. Matthew was starting to hate that smirk just a little bit.

"Mother says it's to keep me safe from the outside world. I've never been outside before," Matthew answered, wincing a little. Gilbert was going to think he was a freak.

"What? That's stupid. Outside's not so bad. I mean, sure, it has its bad moments, but beyond that, it's great!" Gilbert smiled.

"R-really? Would you mind... showing me?" Matthew blurted out before he could think it through. Gilbert blinked a little, and Alfred let out a croak of surprise before scrambling up Matthew's arm and flicking him with his tongue.

"Gross! Alfred, stop it! There's nothing wrong with asking!" Matthew cried, prying Alfred off his shoulder. Gilbert stared.

"Oh, sorry, this is Alfred, my only friend. He's a bit touchy," Matthew explained. Gilbert blinked. "What?" Matthew asked, starting to get uncomfortable again.

"Did you really ask a dude you just met to take you around the outside world?" Gilbert finally said. Matthew blinked.

"...Yes...?"

Gilbert broke into a grin. "I'd love to! Just let me find my satchel quick, and we can be..." Gilbert paused. "... Where's my satchel?"

A neigh from below broke both of their thoughts, and both Gilbert and Matthew quickly rushed to the window. Gilbert groaned as he saw the horse triumphantly holding the satchel in its teeth.

"I'm guessing that's your satchel?" Matthew asked. Gilbert groaned and nodded.

"Well, let's go!" Matthew cheered, throwing his hair over the hook and sliding down to the ground, startling both Gilbert and the horse. Gilbert gawked down at him.

"... How did you do that?!"

"Practice. Now come on! We've gotta get going! Mother will be back soon!" Matthew cried impatiently. Gilbert sucked in a deep breath, took hold of Matthew's hair, and slid down, squeezing his eyes shut the whole way. Alfred had made it down on Matthew's shoulder, and sniggered as Gilbert face-planted upon his landing.

Matthew was about to go help Gilbert up when the horse neighed angrily and charged Gilbert.

"Whoa!" Matthew yelped, diving in front of the horse. The horse tried to dodge around Matthew, but Matthew just went with its movements until the horse finally gave up and glared at Matthew with a huff.

"Hey hey hey, it's okay. I don't know what he did, but no need to kill him," Matthew soothed, rubbing the horse's nose. The horse relaxed and nuzzled into Matthew's palm, causing Matthew to chuckle.

"What's your name, big guy?" Matthew asked, spying a harness on the horse. Quickly checking it, he saw the name _LUKAS_ emblazoned within a sun. "Lukas, huh? Pretty, just like you," Matthew grinned. The horse whinnied happily before shooting another nasty look at Gilbert.

"So, Lukas, can we ride you out of here? Mother may come back soon, and I'd like to be gone before then," Matthew asked. Lukas bent down, and Matthew grinned in delight. "Come on, Gilbert! Let's go see the world!"

"After we return the horse. He's one of the palace horses," Gilbert said, climbing on and helping Matthew up as well. Alfred just ran up Lukas' leg and sat on top of the horse's head, looking triumphant.

"Okay! Let's head to the palace and give him back!" Matthew grinned. Gilbert looked a bit panicked for a second, but quickly covered it up with an enthusiastic grin.

"Yeah! Let's do it, Birdy!" he cheered, nudging Lukas forward.

Matthew frowned. "Birdy?"

"You remind me of a little bird, all soft and fluffy and cute," Gilbert replied before blushing furiously. Matthew blushed as well.

"O-oh. That's why." An awkward silence descended between them. Finally, Gilbert broke it.

"Hey, listen. Sorry if I freaked you out. With, you know, my sudden appearance in your home."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm sorry for hitting you with a frying pan," Matthew replied, shaking his head even though Gilbert couldn't see him. Unless Gilbert had eyes in the back of his head. Which would be creepy.

Gilbert laughed a little. "Your reaction was quite appropriate, I assure you. Anyway! It's only about a couple hour's ride into town, and it's decently early. We should get there before it's too dark. I even know a place where we could stay!"

"Really? That would be great!" Matthew cheered.

"Alright then! Onwards, Lukas! To town!" Gilbert yelled in an over-dramatic voice. Matthew giggled a little, while Lukas shot Gilbert a dirty look before galloping off. This was sure to be an interesting ride.

* * *

Now, don't go forgetting about me! Your awesome narrator has returned! *smack* BIRDY QUIT IT!

Ahem, as I was saying, hello again! I know, Matthew and Gilbert's story has gotten interesting, but there are other players at work here as well.

One such person is Mother Natalia. A few hours after Gilbert and Matthew left the tower, Natalia returned from her little journey to get dinner. She approached the bottom of the tower and called out for Matthew like normal. When no one responded, she frowned in suspicion.

"Matthew? Are you there, darling? Are you alright?" she called again. When there was still no response, she headed for the base of the tower where there was a secret door.

Hey, Birdy? Who knew? There was a secret door into your tower all this time! *clang* OW! PUT THAT FRYING PAN AWAY!

Now, where, was I? Oh, yes, the secret door. Mother Natalia opened it and rushed inside to find the entire tower empty. She flew into a rage. Someone had taken her flower! Either that, or her flower had disobeyed her direct orders! Fuming, she gathered some equipment and left to go find her flower and drag him back, no matter the cost.

At the same time, in the castle, Matthew's parents, the King and Queen, were preparing for their lantern lighting the next night. The Queen was getting very emotional, although this is understandable. He'd lost his only child, for Christ's sake!

"Are you okay, _mon amour?_ " the King asked, wrapping his arms around the Queen's waist. The Queen sniffed and leaned back into the King.

"It's been eighteen years. I just want our son to come home," the Queen whispered. The King spun him around in order to give him a proper hug.

"It's alright, _lapin_ , I feel the same. We just have to have faith, _oui_? He'll return to us. I just know it."

Of course, the King didn't know how true this statement really was.

* * *

"So this is what a town looks like," Matthew breathed in awe as they entered the town. Gilbert laughed a little, tugging on Lukas' reigns as the horse made towards the palace.

"This is one of the bigger ones since the palace is here. Not many are this size," Gilbert explained, gesturing around them. As they walked past a wall, Matthew caught a glimpse of... a very familiar sketch.

"Wait! Can you stop for a moment, please? I'd like to look at something," Matthew asked. Gilbert pulled the reigns, and Matthew jumped off Lukas and ran over to look at the drawing. He gasped. It was a drawing of Gilbert.

"Aw, man, this one didn't get it right either!" Gilbert whined upon seeing what Matthew was looking at. Matthew shot him an incredulous look, and Gilbert's face fell.

"I-I'll explain once we get to my friend's house, okay? Just, please- trust me for another two minutes," Gilbert promised, looking at Matthew with emotion-filled ruby eyes. Matthew nodded tentatively and climbed back onto Lukas. Gilbert sighed in relief and continued steering Lukas down streets. Alfred shot Matthew a look saying _You're stupid_ , and Matthew weakly smiled back. Meanwhile, his thoughts were in turmoil. Why was Gilbert's face on a wanted poster?

"We're here!" Gilbert called a couple minutes later. They were standing outside of a decent-sized little shop, tucked away between others, but with a little garden out back where they would presumably put Lukas for the night. Gilbert slid off Lukas and went to knock on the door. Matthew slid off as well but stayed by Lukas' side, apprehensive about who was inside.

The door opened to reveal a grumbling man with dark brown hair and copper eyes. Upon seeing Gilbert, he glared.

"You know the guards are looking for you right, you _figlio di puttana_?" the man grumbled. Matthew frowned. The language sounded vaguely similar to French, which he had learned, but it wasn't French.

Gilbert chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Lovi. Can my friend and I come in? We need a place to crash just for the night. I swear, we'll be out by morning." The man, Lovi, still looked a little unsure, but a cheerful voice called from within "Lovi, let Gil and his friend in! And please take their horse out back!"

"Sure, sure, whatever you say, tomato bastard," Lovi grumbled, opening the door wider before going to take Lukas' reigns. Matthew followed Gilbert inside, nervous about what he might find.

A cheerful man with caramel-coloured skin greeted them. "Gil! Good to see you! It's been so long! Oh, and who's your new girlfriend?" Matthew's eye twitched. Alfred lashed out his tongue and smacked Gilbert's friend on the head. The guy just laughed.

"Aw, what a cute chameleon! What's your name, young lady?"

"Toni, he's a guy," Gilbert finally piped up. The guy, Toni, had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry _amigo_!" Toni yelped. Lovi walked in at just that moment, scowling.

"What did you do now, idiot?" he grumbled.

"He called me a girl!" Matthew complained, puffing out his cheeks. Gilbert laughed a little.

"You and Lovi look about the same size. Lovi, can Mattie borrow some of your clothes to make him look more like a guy?" Gilbert asked.

"It would work even better if you cut his hair, but sure. Follow me," Lovi grumped, stalking off towards his room. Matthew eagerly followed.

A few minutes later, Matthew came back in a pair of trousers, a collared shirt, and a vest, just like Gilbert's. Gilbert's eyes widened when he saw him.

"What?" Matthew asked, both suspicious and embarrassed. The new outfit didn't really warrant that much staring, did it?

"Oh! Nothing! You just look really nice, is all," Gilbert replied, also looking slightly flustered. Toni laughed a little.

"You sure I can't do anything with your hair, Matthew?" he asked. Matthew nodded, and Toni deflated a little. "At least would you let me tie it back more to make you look more like a guy?"

"Sure," Matthew said, going to sit on a chair. "Now, Gilbert, why was your face on a Wanted poster?"

Gilbert shuffled his feet and didn't meet Matthew's eyes. "I-I'm a thief. I... kinda stole the lost prince's crown, and now everyone's on my back trying to find it. And me."

"Oh," Matthew blinked. That... wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, actually.

"I'm planning on turning myself in tomorrow when we give Lukas back. I'm gonna give the crown back and atone for what I've done. It's only right," Gilbert said with conviction. Matthew blinked again, this time in shock.

"Gil, you don't have to do that!"

"Yes, I do. It's about time I stopped running. I know I didn't take you to see the world like I promised, but..."

"But, nothing, Gilbert Beilschmidt. If you're going to get yourself arrested, I'm coming with you. End of discussion," Matthew firmly stated. Toni, Lovi, and Gilbert's jaws all dropped.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" they all screeched at once. Matthew nodded, and all of them laughed a bit.

"We're all mad here, it seems like," Toni chuckled.

"Anyway, Toni, I'm starving. Mind if I go make some dinner?" Gilbert asked. Toni waved as if to say _Go ahead_ , and Gilbert headed off to the kitchen to make some dinner. Matthew settled back and let Toni play with his hair. He was a bit tired, and it was nice to just sit back and relax after a long day. Besides, tomorrow was special. Tomorrow, he would finally get to see the floating lights in person.

* * *

Later that night, in the castle, the Queen bolted upright in bed, sweating and panting. The King murmured and woke up.

"What's wrong, _lapin_?" the King asked drowsily. The Queen was already climbing out of bed and going to get dressed.

"I had another prophetic dream. Our son is here, in the city, and I know where. I'm going to go find him," the Queen panted, pulling on his boots. This statement caused the King to sit up.

"Are you crazy?! It is the middle of the night! Come, we can deal with this in the morning," the King whispered. The Queen turned to face him with tears in his emerald eyes.

"You believe me?" he whispered. The King scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Of course I do. Everyone knows you possess magic, and your prophetic dreams have never been wrong before. Plus, you can tell the difference between that and a regular dream. Now, come back to bed, and we'll deal with this in the morning."

"I'd prefer to do it tonight. I promise, you'll meet your son first thing tomorrow morning, but I can't wait. I'll see you in the morning, frog," the Queen whispered back, kissing the King before slipping out.

The Queen walked a ways before coming to the location from his dreams, a small shop nestled in a quiet corner of town. He spied a white horse out back, and upon further inspection, it was Lukas, Ludwig's missing horse.

"Lukas? What are you doing here?" the Queen murmured, scratching Lukas' ears. Lukas whinnied quietly and rubbed the Queen's arm. Taking a deep breath, the Queen left Lukas and went to knock on the door, praying someone would be awake to hear it. The Queen did _not_ feel like breaking in magically.

* * *

Matthew awoke to Toni gasping "My Queen!" Frowning, Matthew wrapped a blanket around himself and went downstairs, squinting his eyes to adjust to the candlelight. There were Toni and Lovi, looking both scared and honoured, and Gilbert, looking paler than ever before. And then there was a fourth figure, with messy blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. The new person raised their eyes to Matthew, and seemed to stop breathing for a second.

"Hello?" Matthew asked, feeling like he should know who this was. A long forgotten memory, from when he was a baby...

"Matthew?" the person whispered shakily. Matthew nodded, confused, and the person sobbed and threw themself onto Matthew. "Oh my boy, my beautiful, darling boy, you're alive, you've come back to me, you're safe, you're alive," the person sobbed.

"Um... hi? Do I know you?" Matthew asked, confused. The person raised teary eyes and shakily placed a hand on Matthew's cheek.

"I'm one of your parents, Matthew," the person whispered. Matthew blinked in shock.

"What?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm gonna leave you there! *evil laughter* Don't worry, this has a happy ending. Remember, concrit is loved, flames are used to grill hamburgers for America. Hope you enjoyed this!


	3. Joined At the Hip (Your Sidekick Needs You)

"So... you're my father?" Matthew asked the guy, Arthur he'd said, once things had settled down.

"One of, yes," Arthur replied, taking a sip of the tea that Toni had made. Matthew blinked. "Huh?"

"The King and Queen are both dudes, Birdy," Gilbert said, fidgeting in his seat. He was probably nervous about sitting so close to the Queen. After all, he might get arrested at any moment!

"Um... then how am I their kid? Was I adopted, or...?" Matthew trailed off, not wanting to think about the alternatives. Arthur laughed a little.

"You were conceived through magic. And I must say, you're taking this surprisingly well. Most people would accuse me of lying and then run off screaming," Arthur chuckled.

"Eh, well, when you have magical glowing hair, anything seems possible," Matthew shrugged. The other four stared at him in shock. "... What?"

"You have magical glowing hair?!" they all yelled, bolting upright in shock. Matthew nodded, shocked at their reactions.

"... So THAT'S why you wouldn't let me cut it," Toni murmured. Arthur blinked in shock.

"It turns brown and useless once I cut it," Matthew explained, showing off the lock of brown that had been there since he was born. "Someone tried to cut it when I was little, and... this happened."

"Natalia. And when that didn't work, she..." Arthur trailed off at the realization.

"Oh," Matthew said softly. So all this time, Natalia had been lying to him? She'd told him it was kidnappers.

"Well! None of that matters now, now does it?" Arthur clapped his hands together, attempting to look cheery.

"Do I have to act like a prince, and, you know, perform the duties of one?" Matthew asked apprehensively. Arthur laughed.

"Goodness no. If you don't want to, that's fine. My husband and I have managed for years without that position. I'm just happy knowing you're alive and safe." Matthew grinned in relief. He didn't think he could handle such duties this soon after even finding out he _was_ a prince.

"Great! Well, if that's all, I'll just-" Gilbert said, pointing towards the stairs. Arthur stopped him with a glare.

"Don't think I don't know who you are, Beilschmidt. Your brother's told me all about you," Arthur said, tapping his foot. Toni and Lovi silently slipped away, leaving the Queen, the Prince, and a Thief alone in a room together.

"How is Luddie, anyway? That was his horse I stole, wasn't it?" Gilbert asked carefully. Arthur crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Gilbert sighed and bowed his head in defeat before holding his hands out.

"I'm ready to be carted off to the dungeons. Can I say goodbye to Mattie first, though?" Gilbert asked meekly. He let out a surprised _oof_ a few seconds later when, instead of handcuffing him, Arthur pulled him into a tight hug. "Wha-?"

"Thank you for bringing my son home to me," Arthur whispered, seemingly on the verge of tears. Gilbert blinked in shock, and Matthew snickered a little at the adorable expression on his face.

"You're... welcome? So does this mean I'm not getting arrested?" Gilbert asked hopefully. Arthur laughed and pulled back from the hug.

"From what I've heard, the only _real_ crime you've committed was stealing the crown. As long as you give that back, you're pardoned."

"... What do you mean, the only _real_ crime I've committed?" Gilbert asked, confused. Matthew was confused, too.

"Everyone else was corrupt and deserved it! I would have gotten around to cursing them anyway if it hadn't been for you," Arthur waved his hand dismissively, smirking. Matthew was beginning to wonder how his father had such a dark side.

"Oh... Well, in that case, here you go, sir!" Gilbert held out the satchel with a shaky grin. Arthur took it and opened it to check and make sure the crown was in there (it was). He closed it, set it on the table, and grinned.

"There you go! All pardoned. I'm sure Ludwig will be happy to have you back," Arthur smirked. Gilbert sighed in relief, and Matthew laughed.

"Thank you, Father," he said, the word feeling alien on his tongue.

"Oh, just call me Arthur. It's easier," Arthur replied. Matthew nodded.

"Is it safe to come back yet?" Lovi asked, poking his head into the room. Arthur, Matthew, and Gilbert snorted in surprise.

"Would you mind if I stayed the night? I can sleep on a couch if you have one," Arthur asked. Toni, Lovi, and Gilbert looked horrified at the very thought.

"W-we don't really have anything fitting of royalty..." Toni trailed off at Arthur's laugh.

"Don't worry about it! I was a druid before I became Queen. I'm used to much worse, I assure you. Plus, everything in here looks perfectly comfortable. No need to treat me differently because I'm royalty," Arthur responded. Everyone blinked in shock.

"I-if you're sure... the couch is over there," Toni pointed behind him. Arthur nodded gratefully and walked over to it, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Wow. He has to be the most down-to-earth royal I've EVER met," Lovi finally said. Everyone else nodded in agreement. It was almost creepy how chill Arthur was with everything.

"We should get some more sleep. After all, Mattie, you have a busy day tomorrow," Gilbert softly suggested. Everyone else nodded.

"Wait, Gilbert, you were using the couch. Where are you going to sleep?" Lovi asked. Matthew spoke without even thinking.

"He can sleep with me."

Gilbert blushed wildly, and Toni and Lovi chuckled a little before going back to their room. Gilbert followed Matthew up to the room Toni had given him, and after much shuffling around, they finally found a position that was comfortable for both of them.

"Hey, Birdy?" Gilbert asked after a while.

"Yeah?" Matthew replied.

"... If your parents let me, could I stay with you for a little bit? Just until I can get back on my feet."

"Of course you can. I don't mind. Now, get some sleep, please."

" _Ja_. _Guten nacht, Vogel_."

" _Doux rêves, ours_ ," Matthew whispered back.

* * *

Of course, if our story ended here, that would be boring and unawesome! So let me tell you what was happening at the same time as this little family reunion.

Out in the forest, Mother Natalia was still frantically searching for Matthew. Not because she cared about _him_ or anything; she cared about the healing power of his hair. The power that Matthew didn't even know about.

"Matthew!" she called for what seemed like the umpteenth time. It probably was, actually. Anyway! After hours of fruitless searching, Natalia was still at it. Now that's some damn scary persistence! *clang* BIRDY, STOP IT!

Ahem. Now, this time her call attracted the attention of two people it shouldn't have. Yes, it's my old friends, the Braginsky siblings! They heard Natalia's call and followed her into a clearing, where they finally approached.

"Excuse me, madame, but we couldn't help but hearing you search for someone. Could we help?" Katyusha called. Natalia turned around and looked at them with teary eyes.

"Oh, yes, thank goodness! My poor little Matthew, my darling boy, has been kidnapped! I could use all the help I can get," she replied. Of course, she was faking her tears.

Ivan smiled. "His kidnapper probably took him to town, da? You should search there first."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Natalia cried, even though she was already headed to town in the first place. She knew Matthew probably had left on his own to go see the floating lights. Oh, when she got her hands on him...

"We could accompany you, if you'd like. We're looking for someone too, and we think he may be in town as well," Katyusha said, thinking about wringing Beilschmidt's neck when she caught him.

"Of course! We can look together!" Natalia cried, already planning to kill them off once she found Matthew. She and Ivan shook hands, and our merry little trio of Death started the walk to town.

* * *

"Aw! How cute!" Matthew and Gilbert blinked awake to the sound of Arthur, Toni, and Lovi snickering. Matthew wondered what they were laughing about until he saw their positions. Somehow, in the middle of the night, Gilbert had wrapped his arms around Matthew's back and pulled him closer so that Matthew's head was on Gilbert's chest, and Gilbert's chin rested on top of Matthew's head.

Blushing and stammering, the two jumped apart, yelling things like "It's not what it looks like!" and "He was cold, so I was trying to warm him up!" and "Please don't kill me, Arthur!"

Arthur laughed. "Why would I kill you, Gilbert? I'm so happy that my son has finally found someone to share the rest of his life with!"

It took a minute to sink in. Matthew finally realized that Arthur thought him and Gilbert were _together._ As a _couple._ As in, _romantic partners._

"We're not dating, Arthur!" Matthew shrieked, blushing even redder than before.

Arthur chuckled. " _Suure_ you aren't. Anyway, you should get dressed. We're heading back to the palace soon." Blushing, Matthew and Gilbert rolled out of bed. Matthew grabbed the clothes he borrowed from Lovi yesterday and headed towards the restroom to change. Matthew raised an eyebrow, impressed, when he saw Toni's styling of his hair was still intact.

When Matthew emerged a few minutes later, he found Toni and Lovi nowhere in sight, and a blushing Gilbert and a smirking Arthur.

"What happened while I was gone?" Matthew asked. Arthur's smirk widened while Gilbert's blush deepened.

"Oh, nothing at all, darling. We were just having a little chat about the future," Arthur replied.

"A-anyway," Gilbert broke in, coughing. "We should get going, shouldn't we?"

"Yes, we should. Come along, poppets! The King is waiting," Arthur called, walking out the door. Matthew and Gilbert just shrugged and followed him, Gilbert calling out "Bye Toni! Bye Lovi!" and Lovi responding "I hope I never see you again, potato bastard!"

Arthur laughed once they were on the now-busy street. "He's quite a piece of work."

"Yeah. I have no idea how Toni puts up with him," Gilbert sighed. All three of them laughed, and pretty soon, the castle came in sight.

"Halt! State your business," a tall guard with rich blue eyes called as they approached. Arthur just simply lowered his hood, and both guards quickly opened the gates with an "I'm so sorry, my Queen!" Arthur just laughed it off and walked inside, Gilbert and Matthew scrambling to keep up.

"Wow. Your guards seem pretty scared of making you mad," Gilbert commented. Arthur just laughed again.

"Matthias and Berwald are great guards, but they take the rumours to heart a little too well," Arthur said, leading them up a flight of stairs.

"What rumours?" Matthew asked as they stopped in front of a large oak door.

"Why, the rumours that state he has multiple demon servants to send to attack you," a new voice chuckled from behind them. Matthew and Gilbert jumped and spun around in surprise. A tall man with long, wavy blonde hair and stunning blue eyes stood there chuckling.

"Darling!" Arthur called, hugging him. The blonde man pressed a quick kiss into Arthur's hair before turning to Matthew and Gilbert.

"I'm assuming that our son is the one that is _not_ a thief, _oui?_ " the blonde, who Matthew now realized was the King, asked. Arthur pulled back and smacked his arm.

"Mr. Beilschmidt has been pardoned, you frog. Be nice! And yes, Matthew is the long-haired one."

"Um... hello, Father," Matthew mumbled, shuffling his feet. The King just chuckled and swept him into a hug.

"Please, just call me Francis. I never dreamed this day would come," the King, Francis, whispered, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes.

"Let's continue this inside, shall we?" Arthur clapped his hands together and opened the door they were standing outside of, ushering everyone inside. A servant passed by and stopped to stare, and Arthur quickly turned to her and asked, "Could you please go fetch Captain Beilschmidt for me? Thank you so much." The servant nodded and ran off, and Arthur closed and locked the door behind him.

"Now, why is Mr. Beilschmidt, a thief, here? And when was he pardoned?" Francis asked, turning to Arthur with his hands on his hips. Arthur rolled his eyes and sighed.

"He rescued Matthew and brought him back here. And I pardoned him last night when he gave me back the crown he stole," Arthur replied, glaring at Francis as if to say _Don't even_ think _about challenging me._

"Oh? That's wonderful! Thank you so much for returning my son, Mr. Beilschmidt!" Francis exclaimed, wrapping Gilbert in a tight hug. Gilbert chuckled awkwardly.

"Please, it's Gilbert. Mr. Beilschmidt was my father," he said. Francis chuckled and pulled back.

"Just like Luddie, bless his soul. Speaking of, Ludwig mentioned you stole his horse?"

" _Schei_ _ße_! We left Lukas back at Toni's place!" Gilbert yelled, panicking. A knock sounded at the door, and Arthur went to go get it.

"Ah! Captain Beilschmidt! Thank you for coming so quickly! Please, come in," Arthur said. Gilbert seemed to stiffen and looked like he was contemplating jumping out the window, when a tall, severe-looking blonde walked in and saw him.

"GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT! Don't you even DARE think of running!" the blonde yelled, stomping over. Gilbert flinched, probably expecting some physical violence, but the blonde only wrapped him in a hug that yanked him off his feet.

"I'm so glad you're here. What were you thinking, running away like that?" Captain Beilschmidt whispered. Arthur cleared his throat, and the Captain quickly dropped Gilbert before snapping to attention.

"Sirs, my apologies for my outburst. Would you like me to escort him to the dungeons?" the Captain asked stiffly.

"Oh, no, not at all. He's been pardoned, Ludwig. No need to arrest him," Francis chuckled. The Captain seemed to relax before turning to Gilbert again.

"Lukas made his way back to me, so no need to worry. Also, is this chameleon yours...?" the Captain asked, holding up Alfred by the tail.

"ALFRED!" Matthew yelled, quickly snatching Alfred from the Captain's hands and hugging him. Alfred hugged back as best he could. The Captain just looked confused.

"Sirs, who is this?"

"This, Ludwig, is our son Matthew," Arthur smiled, wrapping an arm around Matthew's shoulders. The Captain blinked, but seemed to accept that explanation without protest. Matthew finally managed to compose himself and held out a hand for a handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Beilschmidt," Matthew said sweetly. The Captain chuckled and shook Matthew's hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Prince Matthew. And please, call me Ludwig." Matthew nodded, and Gilbert cleared his throat.

"If that's all you needed me for...?" he asked, starting to inch towards the door. Ludwig, Arthur, and Francis opened their mouths to stop him, but Matthew and Alfred beat them to it.

"GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT, DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Matthew yelled. Alfred wrapped his tongue around Gilbert's leg to prevent him from moving. Gilbert froze for a second before laughing and walking over to Matthew.

"Jeez, Birdy, didn't know you cared so much. I'll stay, if your parents let me?" Gilbert glanced at Francis and Arthur, who were sniggering.

"Of course. We'll have someone arrange a room for you two. Ludwig, do you mind giving them a tour of the grounds? We have to prepare for tonight," Arthur said. Ludwig nodded and escorted Gilbert and Matthew out of the room.

"So... would either of you like a change of clothes for tonight?" Ludwig asked awkwardly. Both Gilbert and Matthew nodded.

"Follow me, then. Kiku will be happy to help."

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Matthew?" Arthur asked nervously. Matthew nodded and turned to face Feliciano again.

"I'm sure. Chop it off."

"It'll lose its magical glowy thing," Gilbert warned.

"I don't care. I was mistaken for a girl _ten times_ in the last four hours, and I'm sick of it. I want it _gone_ ," Matthew stressed, turning to face the mirror and wondering what he would look like as a brunette.

"Well, I can't argue with that logic," Francis sighed, nodding to Feli that it was okay to begin. Matthew's hair was hanging loose, so Feli just grabbed it all into one bundle and asked, "Where would you like it?"

"Shoulders," Matthew replied, taking a deep breath. Feli nodded, and brought the scissors up to the spot Matthew had provided. Then, in one movement, most of Matthew's hair parted from his head, and his remaining locks rapidly became a light brown.

"Here, just let me even this up, quick, and then you're done," Feli instructed, snipping away at the ends to make it look better. Once he was done, he stepped back and grinned. "How does it look?"

Matthew choked up for a second. "Amazing. Thank you so much, Feli," he breathed. Feli chuckled and packed up his stuff before going off to find Ludwig.

"Oh, Matthew... it looks amazing, darling," Francis whispered. Matthew smiled.

"Thanks. Now, shall we go announce that I'm alive?" Matthew stood up. Gilbert helped him brush all the remaining hair off, and Arthur promised that someone would come back later and clean up the pile of hair on the floor. The four of them walked towards the balcony. Arthur stopped just before they walked out onto it.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Here," he handed Matthew a lantern.

"What?" Matthew blinked.

"You can release your own lantern! If you want to, that is. Francis and I figured it would be a nice touch," Arthur grinned. Gilbert laughed.

"Do it, Birdy. I'll be waiting back here for you," Gilbert hugged Matthew. Matthew nodded, took a deep breath, and hid behind his parents as they walked out onto the balcony.

"Could I please have everyone's attention?" Arthur called, raising his hands for silence. The crowd complied, and Arthur lowered his hands before nodding to Francis. Francis stepped forward, leaving Arthur to hold the lantern.

"So, as all of you know, today is the eighteenth anniversary of our Prince Matthew's birth. And you also know that Prince Matthew has been missing for the last eighteen years." Francis began. The crowd murmured in agreement. Francis waited for silence to descend before continuing.

"So, on that note, I have a joyous announcement. Matthew, darling, come forward, would you?" Francis turned around and beckoned Matthew forward. Shakily, Matthew walked forward, sweating nervously when he saw everyone's eyes on him.

"Our lost Prince has returned to us. Tonight, we release these lanterns in celebration, not grief," Arthur spoke up, coming forward to stand at Matthew's other side. With a flash of gold in Arthur's emerald irises, both his lantern and Matthew's lit on fire. Arthur released his into the sky, Matthew following right after, along with the rest of the crowd. Silence still reigned, and Matthew began to shuffle nervously. What were they thinking?

All at once, a cheer rose up from the crowd, stopping Matthew's panicked thoughts in their tracks.

"See? You'll be fine," Arthur whispered, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Francis nodded and smiled.

"They love you already. Would you like to say something?"

"Tomorrow, maybe. I'm still adjusting," Matthew whispered. Both Arthur and Francis nodded before Francis called down to the crowd.

"If you want to meet him properly, come back tomorrow evening! He'll be giving a speech," Francis called. The cheer grew even louder, if that was possible, and Matthew grinned a bit in spite of himself. It felt nice to know that a bunch of strangers already loved him.

"Now, come on, you should get some rest. It's been a long day," Arthur said, guiding Matthew back indoors. Francis followed behind them, and Matthew sighed, grateful to finally be getting some rest.

"Matthew, darling? What did you do to your hair?" a familiar voice spoke up. Matthew froze. _Oh no_.

"King Francis, Queen Arthur, I would suggest handing Matthew over to me, unless you want me to slit this lad's throat," Natalia purred, stepping out of the shadows. That wasn't what concerned Matthew the most, though. What concerned him was the knife she had pressed to Gilbert's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hope you enjoyed! And yes, I am using the lyrics from Owl City's song 'When Can I See You Again?'. For me, this is one of the theme songs for PruCan, and it fits this story really well. Anyway, see you next chapter!


	4. Something In the Air You Can't Deny

"M-Mother...?" Matthew whimpered, fighting the urge to hide behind Arthur and Francis. Mentally, he was smacking himself. He should have expected something like this to happen! What, did he really think she would just _let him go_?

"Matthew, did you cut your hair?!" Natalia screeched as she saw its new colour. Matthew just nodded mutely, and Natalia growled and pressed the knife further into Gilbert's throat, causing a few drops of blood to well up on the skin. Gilbert sharply inhaled in shock and pain, but stayed still, looking at Matthew as if to say, _Don't even_ think _about going back with her._

"Natalia. Let the boy go, and we can talk about this," Francis soothed, raising his hands in a placating gesture. Natalia laughed.

"What is there to talk about? Hand over Matthew, and then I'll let this boy go. No negotiations, Francis. No pretty words will save you this time. Give me back what is mine," Natalia replied. Something about her seemed... a little off, though. She had always had very pale blonde hair, but now it looked white. And... were those wrinkles?

"Mother? What happened to you?" Matthew asked, trying to diffuse the situation. Natalia growled.

"I'm aging because _you_ ran away," she hissed, adjusting her grip on Gilbert. Matthew blinked. "Huh?"

"You haven't told him, Francis!" Natalia howled with laughter. "Go on, tell him what you did and see if he still trusts you!"

"What...?" Matthew asked, turning to Arthur. Arthur sighed.

"Long story short: She was using a magic flower to keep herself young. Francis retrieved that magic flower when I was pregnant with you because I was incredibly sick. The flower can heal just about anything, including old age. Natalia's been using you to stay young these past eighteen years. Since I consumed the flower while I was pregnant with you, _you_ became the new conduit for the power," Arthur explained. Matthew nodded, understanding, before turning back to Natalia.

"Okay, Mother. I'll come back with you. Just let him go," Matthew pleaded, stepping forward. He ignored everyone's shocked cries, instead focusing on the ugly smile on Natalia's face.

"There's a good boy," Natalia cooed. Matthew stepped forward again, but was stopped by a hand closing around his wrist. He twisted his head around to see Francis grabbing his wrist.

"Matthew, you don't have to do this," Francis pleaded, looking devastated at both the idea of giving Matthew up and the idea of Gilbert dying.

"Yes I do, Francis," Matthew murmured, gently tugging his hand out of Francis' grip and continuing over to Natalia. Natalia grinned triumphantly and laughed, while Gilbert was looking at Matthew in shock and horror.

"See, Francis? Even your own _son_ chooses me over you!" she crowed. Matthew stopped right in front of Gilbert and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Now, come to Mother. Let's get back to our tower. And we can even bring this young gentleman, too! I have some associates who would _love_ to take care of him properly," Natalia purred. Matthew forced an innocent smile onto his face.

"Of course, Mother. Just one thing first," Matthew said sweetly. Natalia raised an eyebrow. Sensing his opportunity, Matthew lunged forward and wrestled the knife away from Natalia, Gilbert collapsing to the floor in the process. Natalia shrieked, and Matthew swung around behind her and placed the knife at her neck.

"You lied to me!" Matthew yelled. "All these years, you've lied to me about who my parents are, and you've kept me prisoner for your own selfish reasons! Now, you come in here and threaten both my parents _and_ my friend! No more, Mother! I'm not going to belong to you _**ANYMORE**_!" Francis and Arthur blinked in shock, and Natalia seemed to just be getting angrier and angrier. Gilbert just groaned. Matthew glanced over at Gilbert and paled when he saw the pool of blood forming beneath his neck.

"B-Birdy... just finish it... don't worry about me..." Gilbert groaned, shooting Matthew a weak smile.

"Matthew, darling, see to Gilbert. I can handle Natalia," Arthur said sweetly, stepping forward and holding out his hands. His eyes were starting to glow gold, and Matthew figured that Natalia was going to be in very capable hands. Handing Arthur the knife, Matthew ran over to Gilbert.

"Oh, God, Gil! I'm so sorry, this is my fault, I never should have wrestled for the knife with you so close!" Matthew babbled, tears starting to fall. Francis was already there, attempting to put pressure on Gilbert's neck, but he had lost too much blood already. Even Matthew could tell that with his limited knowledge of medical things.

"Not... your fault," Gilbert whispered hoarsely. Francis shushed him, and Matthew shook his head.

"There has to be a way to heal you!" he cried. Gilbert smiled weakly, and Francis looked sorrowful. In the background, Natalia gave a choked laugh.

"You cut off your hair, Matthew! It would have had the power to heal him, you fool!" she cried before shrieking in pain. Matthew risked a glance over his shoulder and found her bound in glowing green chains, Arthur clenching his fist to control them. Matthew glanced back, and Gilbert shakily raised a hand to Matthew's cheek.

"P-promise me a couple things?" he whispered. Matthew nodded tearfully.

"L-look after Luddie, would ya? H-he needs someone. A-also, tell Toni I-I'm sorry for giving him so m-much trouble all these years. A-and l-live... a good life, for me?" Gilbert pleaded. Matthew sobbed and nodded. "Good," Gilbert breathed, and his eyelids drifted closed.

* * *

"No, no... Gilbert, Gilbert, this isn't funny. Gilbert, open your eyes, this isn't funny. Gilbert, wake up! Wake up! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so so so sorry, this is my fault, I shouldn't have grabbed that knife. Gilbert, come back to me. Gilbert, I'm sorry! Bear, come back to me, come on wake up, come on _wake up_!" Matthew sobbed, shaking Gilbert's shoulders frantically. Gilbert had stopped breathing and was slowly growing paler and colder.

"He's gone, Matthew," Francis whispered, looking incredibly upset as well. Matthew shook his head and sobbed harder.

"No, no, he can't be gone, he _promised..._ " Matthew trailed off. Francis pulled Matthew into a hug, not caring that his shirt was getting wet from Matthew's tears.

"I'm so sorry, _cher_. I'm so, so sorry," Francis whispered, rocking Matthew back and forth.

Natalia cackled gleefully. "See? Matthew, this is all your fault! If you had just stayed in the tower, that young man wouldn't have died!"

"Shut up!" Arthur and Francis snarled in unison, Arthur causing his magic to squeeze Natalia tighter. Matthew sobbed a little harder. He wiggled his way out of Francis' grip and crawled back over to Gilbert's body.

"Gilbert, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I-I never got the c-chance to... s-say... _J_ _e t'aime_ ," Matthew sniffed, leaning over and pressing his lips against Gilbert's in a last gesture of farewell.

A golden glow swept through the room, curling around Gilbert's neck and healing his wound. Colour returned to Gilbert's skin (well, as much colour as an albino should normally have), and his ruby eyes fluttered open. Matthew pulled back, his eyes closed in grief, not noticing the now very much alive Gilbert staring at him in shock.

"Did you just kiss me?" Gilbert asked after a few moments of silence. Francis and Arthur stifled their laughter as Matthew opened his eyes.

"G-Gil... you're alive..." Matthew stammered, fresh tears pouring from his eyes. Gilbert started to look panicked.

"No, Birdy, don't cry. Really, I'm fine-" Gilbert started, holding up his hands in surrender. Matthew didn't let him finish before he jumped on him and pulled Gilbert into a tight hug, sobbing into his shoulder.

"I-I thought you were gone! You were dead, and it was all my fault, and-" This time it was Gilbert who cut Matthew off with a forceful kiss. Matthew trailed off, sinking into the kiss. Eventually, Gilbert pulled back and fixed Matthew with a love-filled gaze and smile.

"I'm here. And _ich liebe dich, also_ ," Gilbert smiled. Matthew blinked.

"I love you," Gilbert tried again, figuring out that Matthew didn't speak German. Matthew's eyes widened, and he started grinning in delight.

"I love you, Gilbert. _Je t'aime, je t'aime,_ I'm so happy!" Matthew squealed, throwing himself at Gilbert. Gilbert laughed and hugged him back just as enthusiastically.

"You still have the power! GIVE IT TO ME!" Natalia screeched in the background. Matthew and Gilbert jumped and spun to face her. She looked deranged, struggling furiously to escape her magical bonds.

Francis groaned. "You just ruined the romantic moment!" he complained, glaring at Natalia. Arthur laughed.

"Well, now that Gilbert is fine and no one is danger of dying except for her, what should we do with the little witch?" Arthur asked with a bright smile.

"I vote killing her!" Francis replied, grinning wickedly. Arthur nodded in agreement.

"I vote banishment. Death is too good for her," Gilbert growled.

"I agree with Gil," Matthew piped up, glaring at his former mother.

"We need a tiebreaker," Arthur mused. The rapid clomp of boots on the stone stairs sounded, and Ludwig rounded the corner, carrying two unconscious people on his shoulders.

"I found the Braginsky siblings downstairs. And I heard a fight up here. Is everyone alright?" Ludwig asked, his eyes flashing over all of them in concern before resting on Natalia in confusion.

"Ludwig! Perfect timing! Banishment or death?" Arthur grinned. Ludwig blinked.

"What did she do?"

"Kidnapped Birdy!" Gilbert yelled, as Francis said "Generally cause havoc and be a _chienne fou_." and Arthur chirped "Locked my son away for eighteen years and then killed your brother." Ludwig blinked at this sudden input before something Arthur said caught up to him.

"SHE KILLED GILBERT?!" he yelled, dropping the still-unconscious Braginsky siblings and grabbing the front of Natalia's dress in his fist. Everyone nodded, and Ludwig growled before socking Natalia in the nose. Everyone winced as they heard the _crack_.

"Banishment. Death is too good for this piece of _schie_ _ß_ _e_ ," Ludwig growled, releasing her. Arthur cheerily grinned and gestured to the Braginskys.

"Should we send them along with?"

"YES!" Gilbert yelped, looking incredibly happy at the idea of being free from their wrath. Ludwig grinned an ugly grin.

"I will carry this out myself. Will the bonds stay, my Queen?" he asked, and Matthew and Gilbert suddenly realized why Ludwig and Arthur got along so well.

"Oh, of course not, which is why I'll be coming with you!" Arthur grinned back. Francis stifled a laugh, and Gilbert and Matthew shuddered. These two would bring about the end of the world together, they just knew it.

* * *

"Lukas! Come back!" Gilbert yelled, chasing after the horse. Matthew just laughed at him, Alfred doing the same on his shoulder.

It had been a whole three months since the Natalia Incident, and Matthew was settling into his new life. All of the palace servants had eventually gotten used to calling him Matthew instead of 'Prince' or 'Your Highness'. Toni and Lovi came to visit often. Matthew also found out that Feli and Lovi were twins (how had he not noticed that before?!), and that Feli and Ludwig were in love. The rest of the palace, plus Toni and Lovi, had a running betting pool on when Ludwig would finally propose. So far, it looked like Arthur and Gilbert were winning. Matthew had lost about a week ago.

Another new change was Gilbert and Francis becoming friends, and Francis and Toni becoming friends as well. Having gathered the nickname 'The Bad Touch Trio', they generally wreaked havoc around the castle and snuck out at night to go do... something. No one knew what, and no one except for Arthur had ever asked.

Gilbert and Matthew's relationship had also progressed. Matthew was incredibly happy, more happy than he had ever been in fact. He was even considering proposing to Gilbert, he wanted to take this relationship that far so badly.

"Hold out some carrots!" Matthew called out in suggestion, grinning at the look on Gilbert's face. Gilbert quickly pulled out some carrots, and Lukas practically charged him in order to get at them. Matthew laughed again as Gilbert yelled "Whoa!" as he was tackled by an over-enthused horse. After Lukas was back in his stall, Gilbert trudged back over to Matthew, grumbling about how he was glad he didn't have a horse. Matthew chuckled.

"Lukas isn't so bad. You're just incredibly unlucky," Matthew teased. Gilbert puffed out his cheeks in a mock pout.

"Oh, really? How'd I end up with you, then?" Gilbert asked, teasing Matthew right back. As Matthew blushed and stammered, Gilbert grinned before sobering. Matthew noticed this sudden change, and instantly became concerned.

"Everything okay, Gil?" he asked, running possible scenarios through his mind. Gilbert was dying, Gilbert was leaving, Gilbert wanted to break up with him...

"I have something I've been meaning to ask you for a while, Birdy," Gilbert started, taking a deep breath. Slowly, Gilbert slid off the wall they were sitting on and kneeled down on the grass, pulling something out of his pocket. Matthew gasped and his hands flew to his mouth. Was this...?

Gilbert held out a beautiful silver band with a simple diamond on it and grinned at Matthew nervously. "Birdy, _Vogel_ , Mattie, Matthew, the love of my life... Will you do me the honour of marrying me?" He clenched his eyes shut at Matthew's silence, taking it as rejection.

"Yes," Matthew breathed. Gilbert's eyes snapped open and looked at Matthew, full of hope and joy. "Yes, I will marry you." Gilbert laughed and slipped the ring onto Matthew's right ring finger before standing up and spinning Matthew around in a circle before bringing them together in a kiss. It was passionate, and beautiful, and everything Matthew had ever dreamed of, and he never wanted it to end.

"Aw! I was off by a week!" Feli whined in the background. Matthew and Gilbert pulled apart and saw a crowd of their close friends gathering. Arthur, Francis, and Ludwig were snickering, holding out their hands. Feli, Toni, Lovi, Kiku, Feliks, and Tolys all grumbled but pulled out some coins and handed them over. Matthew blinked in shock.

"Did you... bet on us?" Gilbert asked slowly.

"Yep! And must I say, thank you for the perfect timing, Gilbert!" Arthur smiled, counting the money he had earned from his bets. Gilbert and Matthew blinked.

"So, um... I know I forgot to before... but?" Gilbert asked. Francis chuckled.

"Don't worry, you have my blessing. Arthur's too, actually." Gilbert sighed in relief and turned back to Matthew. Matthew kissed him again. Everyone watching whooped, and Gilbert pulled back.

" _Birdy_ ," he whined. "They're all _right there_!"

"So? Who cares?" Matthew replied, pulling Gilbert back down for a kiss. Gilbert didn't protest, and Matthew's whole world narrowed to the two of them, in this one, perfect moment.

* * *

So, that's mine and Birdy's awesome story! See, I told you everything would be fine! I would give you details of our wedding, but that would be boring. After all, it was pretty standard as weddings go.

So, the moral of the story, _lieblings_ : If you find a magic flower made from sunlight, don't hoard it for yourself.

*sigh* _Gilbert..._

Fine, fine, fine, Birdy. I'll end this properly.

The Thief and the Prince rode off into the sunset together, and they all lived happily ever after.

There, better?

Nope. Too cliche. How about:

And after they were married, Gilbert made good on the first promise he made to Matthew. They went to see the world, just the two of them, and it was absolutely perfect.

_**DAS ENDE** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are at the end! And yes, the cliche of 'true love's kiss saves the day' became a thing. But do you really care? Thought not. 
> 
> Also! Be expecting an addition to this series in around a month or so. Thanks guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! Concrit is LOVED, flames are fed to my pet dragon. See ya!


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